


Things That Need Saying

by koalathebear



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi - Fandom, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-24 01:23:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13202703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koalathebear/pseuds/koalathebear
Summary: Just a few conversations that I think needed to happen.  Set at the end of "The Last Jedi".





	Things That Need Saying

_Nobody_

Rey stares out at the endlessness of space unseeingly. She shivers slightly.

"Rey?"

The tone of Poe's voice tells her that he's been standing there for some time and that he's probably been saying her name a few times.

"Sorry …" she replies apologetically, her mouth twisting into a forced smile. 

He comes to stand beside her, looking down at her pale face in undisguised concern. "You OK? You know that we'll find somewhere to set up the new Resistance base," he reassures her. "We always do - sometimes I feel like we spend more time on the the run than we do bunkered down." His smile is crooked. Rey nods in acknowledgment.

"You were thinking about something else," he realises.

She nods and shivers again. Poe frowns and pulls off his own jacket. "Should I go and speak to Chewie about adjusting the temperature?" he asks as he drapes the jacket around her narrow shoulders.

Rey slides her arms through the sleeves of the heavy, leather jacket and pulls it about herself. It's warm and comforting.

"I’m fine," she tells him a little unconvincingly.

"Care to share what's on your mind?" he asks her. "I'm not a bad listener."

"I already know that," she tells him with a crooked smile.

His smile fades. "You haven't seen Kylo Ren again, have you?"

He's the only one she's told… partly because he's also been interrogated by Kylo Ren and she wanted to know if he ever had any residual connection and partly just because he's Poe Dameron and she has fallen into the habit of just telling him things …

It goes both ways. She knows all about his regret and grief for the death of Vice Admiral Holdo. "I should have trusted her – trusted that General Leia would have chosen the right person to lead us … but it's not easy for me to trust strangers – to just sit back and do what feels like nothing," told her in a low voice. "And in the end – she saved us all at the cost of her own life."

"I haven't seen him since Crait," Rey tells him. "Perhaps with Snoke's death the bond has weakened…Anyway … don't worry about me, I should be the least of your concerns."

He raises an eyebrow. "You can't be serious? The most important person on the Falcon bar none is telling me that she's the least of my concerns."

"Most important person?" she demands incredulously. "How can you say that when I'm onboard the same ship as General Organa … Finn … _you_ …"

"Me?" Poe demanded with a genuinely amused laugh. 

_They were filthy junk traders who sold you off for drinking money. They’re dead, in a paupers’ grave in the Jakku desert._

"Son of Shara Bey and Kes Dameron - heroes of the Rebellion. You're practically royalty."

"And look at you, the most powerful Jedi in the Galaxy."

"I think that Kylo Ren would beg to differ."

"And I don't really care what Kylo Ren thinks," Poe tells her evenly.

_They were nobody._

"I'm nobody," she tells him with a wry smile. "All this time - I've been dreaming that I was somebody … that I was important, that I was here for a reason and that all of _this_ was happening to me for a reason... But it turns out that even my own parents didn't want me … and that I was even less valuable to them than the scrap we scavenged for on Jakku."

"If you're talking about royalty - think about Ben Solo. He was literally born into royalty … he could have saved the Galaxy under the tutelage of Luke Skywalker. And he threw it away. It doesn't matter what your family is and what privilege you have if you do nothing with it, Rey. My parents taught me about honour … love … making the most of what I had…" 

Poe's hand goes up touch the ring on the chain around his neck. She'd noticed that he often played with it unconsciously when deep in thought.

"If you speak with General Organa, she'll tell you I'm just a reckless pilot who likes blowing things up."

"That's not true," Rey tells him reprovingly. "You're her most trusted pilot."

"I was, but I kind of blew it," he tells her ruefully. 

She reaches out impulsively and takes his hand in hers. Poe's eyes widen, slightly startled. They've become close. Very close during the light speed travel and spoken of many things but he hasn't expected this almost intimate gesture from her.

Her hand is small but calloused and strong and grips his hand firmly. "We all believe in you. I believe in you," she tells him earnestly.

He reaches out with his free hand and brushes a strand of her hair from her dark eyes. "Well that's good … because I care about what you think."

When he reaches out to pull her closer, she goes willingly.

*

_A Real Hero_

"Hey."

"Never approach someone from behind when they're holding an impact wrench," Rose says without turning around. She and Chewie seem to be competing to complete the most number of repairs on the Millennium Falcon. By the time they arrive at their destination - wherever that is - the light freighter's going to look like new - at least from within.

"I repair things when I'm nervous," she had explained to Rey.

Poe stands behind her without saying anything and finally Rose puts the impact wrench down on the tray beside her and turns around slowly, her expression wary.

"Hey yourself," she replies. "So are you a Commander again - or are you still demoted?" she asks.

Smart aleck. Although it's a valid question. He hasn't actually got around to asking the General if she's rescinded his demotion or if he's still languishing in captainhood.

"Actually I don't know. It's not something we've discussed. We're kind of lower numbers so maybe my demotion's been temporarily reversed?"

The smile fade from his eyes. "So how are you holding up, Rose?" They've spoken with one another since … it happened … but they haven't talked. There's been too much else happening, too much to deal with. One disaster or emergency after another. She was injured and unconscious for a time - but nothing seems to be able to keep Rose Tico still long so even with a splinted arm and bandages all along her face and body, she's still up and working. Poe knows that he can't keep avoiding the topic.

Rose gives a wry smile and shrugs, her eyes gleaming with unshed tears. "Well. I guess I'm doing ok. I think that Paige would probably laugh at the fact that our entire mission was not only an abject failure - but completely useless to boot."

"Look. Don't beat yourself up about that. You guys did good. I'm the one who sent you on a wild goose chase. You should blame me for that." His voice dropped low, becoming sombre. "Along with - the other stuff."

Rose's gaze snaps up to his face. "You're really going to go there, Poe?"

He nods. "Yeah. I am. It's what she deserves - and what you deserve."

"Fine. Get it out," she tells him.

His mouth twists wryly. "Rose - I am more sorry than I can possibly say about what happened to Paige. What happened to her was my fault and I take full responsibility."

Rose looks at him incredulously. "Are you serious?" she demands. "Everyone who goes on a bomber knows what their chances are. Paige told me more times than I can count that each mission was likely a one way ticket to join our parents…"

"Yeah but if I hadn't disobeyed orders maybe she would still be alive."

"True. And maybe she'd dead. We could all be dead because the Dreadnought wouldn't have been destroyed and it would have killed us all before we could escape from D'Qar. Paige knew what she was in for - we all do. And I can tell you now that she gladly gave her life to take down that Dreadnought. She would have been happy to know that she was making things safer for the rest of us. I just wish … I could have had a chance to say goodbye to her." Rose's voice becomes a little thick and her eyes gleam with moisture but she doesn't cry.

Poe puts his arm about her shoulders and gives her an awkward one-armed hug. She leans into him and exhales slowly. 

"She was one of the bravest pilots I ever knew," he tells her. 

"Well - they make us tough on Hays Minor," she tells him with her crooked smile.

"That much is clear to me. Maybe we should fly past and recruit a few more like you?"

He picks up the plasma forge and the foam sealant. "What can I do to help?" he asks her.

"Not get in my way," she tells him but the smile on her face tells him that things are ok between them.

*  
 _Still Demoted_

Leia smiles. "Have you come to ask me if you're still demoted, Poe?" Leia asks him.

The question surprises him and he gives a short laugh of genuine amusement. "Actually no. Although I have to say that I am being asked that question a lot."

"Take a seat," she invites him and he takes the seat by her side, trying not to notice how old and frail she suddenly looks. "What's on your mind, Poe?"

He exhales slowly. "A lot, I have to say. But the reason I've come here is … to apologise. To you … and Admiral Holdo …" His throat tightens. "Neither of you need to explain yourselves to me and I should have trusted … known better than to doubt … I've learned my lesson - but at what cost?"

Leia reaches out one thin hand and places it on Poe's hand gently. "Don't beat yourself up about it, Poe."

"Because you already do?" he asks her, alluding to the earlier slap across the face. "From memory you also shot me."

"I had it set to stun. And you deserved it," she retorted but then grew serious. "That was wrong of me to hit you, even if you were a reckless idiot … I see so much potential in you, Poe. You're a leader … "

"I spoke to Rose Tico tonight."

Leia's face grows sorrowful. "That poor child is all alone in the world now that her sister is gone…"

Poe shook his head. "She has Finn … you … me… and she and Rey have become friends."

Leia' smile becomes a little mischievous as she studies the x-wing pilot knowingly. "From what I can gather, you and Rey have also become friends."

"She's a wonderful person," Poe says simply, his gaze meeting hers squarely without any attempt at artifice.

"For what it's worth. I approve," Leia tells him warmly.

"Good to hear," Poe tells her, rising to his feet. "Although I have to say that even if you didn't approve …" his voice trails off provocatively.

Leia laughs. "Fine. You're still demoted," she tells him tartly and watches him smilingly as he walks away.

The humour in her smile turns to bittersweet. Rey is the daughter she never had and Poe is the son she wishes she could have had ...

**Fin**


End file.
